More than 400 different viruses are known to cause human diseases. These diseases include, for example, the common cold, influenza, cold sores (Herpes Type 1), genital herpes (Type 2), norovirus, mononucleosis, shingles, hepatitis, dengue, West Nile fever, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Hantavirus, Ebola, and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Especially in the cases of the common cold and influenza, rapid mutations make it difficult for the body's immune system to identify and react to the invading viruses quickly.
To treat bacterial infections a variety of antibiotic drugs are available. However, for viral infections in general, and upper respiratory viral infections in particular, effective drugs to hinder reproduction of the infectious agents are much less available. Prescription anti-flu drugs currently available may reduce the duration of flu by about a day but in many cases do not reduce complications such as pneumonia, and often viruses are resistant to the drugs. The drugs must also be taken within the first 48 hours of flu symptoms.
During the H1N1 flu epidemic of 2009, a vaccine had not yet been produced, governments stockpiled antiviral drugs, and both were unavailable directly to the general public. In the event of a pandemic of an even more serious respiratory viral infection, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and others have warned that health care facilities would be rapidly overwhelmed with patients, for whom they would have inadequate supplies and could do little.
On average, an adult American suffers from about two or three colds a year. The course of the disease normally lasts 7-10 days, usually starting with a mild sore throat, progressing to severe sore throat, fever, congestion, and fatigue. Flu has more severe symptoms, that may add to the previous list fever, chills, headaches, and body aches, and usually lasts 7-14 days. Sometimes serious complications such as pneumonia can develop. During the contagious period there is high risk of infecting other family members, friends, and members of the general public
The CDC has estimated that in the United States, on average during the 1990s, about 36,000 people died of seasonal flu-related causes every year. On rare occasions flu viruses develop into especially virulent strains. For example, the flu pandemic of 1918 killed an estimated 50 million people worldwide, many of whom were otherwise strong and healthy.
Besides the death toll every year, colds and flu cause a great deal of discomfort and lost work. The CDC estimates that there are 30 million cases of seasonal flu annually in the U.S., and about 70 million workdays are lost due to colds and flu annually, with an economic cost in lost productivity of three to twelve billion dollars a year. According to the CDC, the number of schooldays lost by kindergarten through 12th-grade students annually in the U.S. due to colds is about 22 million, and to flu about 38 million. Even a 10% reduction in these losses would be highly significant and valuable. The present invention, if widely used, would allow a much greater reduction than this in both severity and duration of colds and flu.
Many people choose to have annual flu shots, but these must be tailored to specific strains selected a year in advance, must be repeated every year, and are only about 80% effective, because of the mutating strains of the influenza virus.
Although medical researchers are working hard on ways to combat viral infections, and are making progress, standard Western medicine at this time offers no cure for viral upper respiratory tract infections once contracted.
Many allopathic and herbal products are designed for temporary relief of symptoms without addressing the underlying infection. Conventional methods of treating a cold or flu have focused on such methods as rest, drinking liquids, gargling with salt water, and taking antihistamines, decongestants, and analgesics. There are also herbal and homeopathic products designed to relieve symptoms for a few hours. However, none of these methods can significantly decrease the viral load or overall duration of the infection.
In contrast, the purpose of the present invention is to eliminate the viruses from the body. The driving force for the present invention was the desire to develop a more effective method of treating colds and flu. Better remedies are needed to combat these infections, and it would be especially desirable if these remedies are low cost and non-prescription, that can be kept on hand or obtained quickly, to take at the first warning sign of a cold or flu.